Lifeboat davit



'F. c. SIMONDS 2,366,812

LIFE BOAT pAvIT' Jan. 9; 1945;

Filed Jan. 22, 1943 5y jazz $239 3 IQ 461 M Patented Jan. 9, 19 45 UNITED. STATES PATENT QOFFICE -;.2,366,812 a f LIFEBOAT DAVIT Frank C. Simonds, Moylan, Pa. Application January 22, 1943, Serial No. 473,229 (cieesvi l 7 2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in lifeboat davits.

Present emergency marine regulations, particularly in the merchant service, require that the ships life boats be carried in an outboard position ready for lowering, instead of in the inboard position resting inthe usual chocks which are secured upon the deck surface. This regue' lation, of course, is intended to enable. the life boatsto getaway inas short a time as possible,

in the event a ship may be torpedoed or strike a mine.

The conventional type of davit now in use on ocean-going ships is designed for the inboard carriage of life boats and not for carrying boats in the outboard, or swung-out position in which they are suspended over theside of the ship ready for lowering. This is so for the reason that such davits are not constructed to withstandthe load and shocks resulting from fore and aft pitching of the ship in a sea with the life boat in swungout position and supported wholly fromthe davit, and it has occurred on several occasions that davit arms or booms have broken away from their supporting structures or frames under such loads or as the result of sudden shock or impact.

Too, the davit arms have been known to break away from their housings or support .frames as a result of the shock causedby the explosion of V I a torpedo or mine. i

With the foregoing in mind, an object of the present inventionis to provide a life boat davit embodying certain novel features ofconstruction and arrangement which provide adequate support for a life boat against fore and aft stress and strain due to load and shock when the boat is carried in the outboard,-or swung-out, position of the davit. l l a Fig. 1 is an end elevation of'a'davit constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view inperspective of a structural element of the invention, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentaryview in section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 2. e Referringnow more particularly to the drawing, the form of davit shown in Figure 1 is of generally conventional construction and com:

prises a davit arm or boom I having at its base or lower end a toothed quadrant 2. The davit arm'l is mounted upon a generally rectangular support or frame structure 3 having along its lower base portion a toothed rack A on which the quadrant 2 0i said arm or boom I is arranged to roll. The arm or boom l. carries a pivot pin 5 fixed to the side of ablockfi which is free to move alon a guide bar "I. the block 6 'has a threaded. bore therethrough forming a nut through which passes a screw element 8, andthe latter is actuated by a crank =9 to roll the quadrant 2 over the rack 4 of the l for theweight of the life boat athwartship substantially no supporter stability in a fore and it aft direction is afiorded the davit and boat car- Another object of the invention is to provide.

a davit of the character set forth wherein the davit arm is firmly and adequately supported.

withrespect to its housing and base structure to prevent breaking away of the davit. arm fromthe base or support as a result of excessive fore frame or support structure 3 therebymoving or swinging the arm or boom 1 in an athwart-ship direction between outboard and inboard posi-' 'tions in the conventional manner.

. From this construction it will be observed that the davit supporter frame structure 3 extends in an athwartship direction and while it provides support iorthe davit arm or boom Land riedthereby, and this is particularly true when the boatjis carried in the outboard position, or

swung-out ready for lowering as presentregulations require. Furthermore. connection of the davit arm or booml to its supporting frame or structure. 3 is provided solelyby the pin 5, and

this pin will not withstand the shocks and load towhi'ch the davit boom or arm is subjectedin a fore andaftdirection with a life boat to its the various features of the construction and opx eration thereof are hereinafter more fully set forth and described, and shown in the accompanying drawin in which: Y

outboard position suspended over the side of the ship.

According to the present invention, therefore,

the davit supporting frameor structure 3 is con-;

structed in substantially L-shape and provided with a, leg orportion ID which extends in a di rection'fore and aft the ship substantially at right' angles to the supporting frame portion 3 which extends in an athwartship direction as previously described. This construction provides not only adequate support and stability to. the davit in the athwart-ship direction but also provides support thereto against loadand shocks acting on the davit in a fore and aft direction.

The. lower part of an arcuate upper edge I2 which curves slightly downwardly in an outboard direction corresponding to the are described by the davitboom or arm as it moves from the extreme. inboard to the extreme outboard position upon actuation by the screw 8.

ate slot I8 corresponding to the curvature of vthe: member upper edge I2. Secured to the outer face of the davit arm I and extending through the slot I8 of the member If is a pin or stud I9 havingat its extremity an enlarged head portion- 20- operable normally to prevent. withdrawal of said stud I9 from the said" slot I8. I

By this construction it willbe'obs'erved that in all positions of the davit arm Ias it moves" between the inboard and outboard positions, the pin or stud I9provides an effective interlock be-' tween the davit arm I' and themember II of its'supporting frame or'structure'. This arrangement provides substantial stability and support to" said arm with respect to its frame structure in a direction fore and aft the ship and; in conjunction With the frame or' support portion III, provides strength and support to the davit as a; whole sufficient to withstand fore and aftstresses and strains resulting from'pitchin of the ship and from shocks'received by the shipwhen the life boats are suspended in their outboard or swung-out position over the side of the ship. In addition the provision of the pin and slot. connection provides a positive stop construction which serves effectively to'hold the davit'arm I securely in its frame or support 3 and prevents said arm from jumping out of its support struc ture as the result of sudden shocks or impact sufficient to cause shearing of the drive pin 5jand collapse of the davit. f

To, permit removal of the davit arm orboom I for purposes of repair'or'replacement, the slot I8 of the frame member II is enlarged as indicated at I-'I (see Fig 3-) for passage'of the headed pin or stud I-9 from engagement with slot I8 when it is desired tddisengage the davit arm I' from its housing or frame 3 after disconnection of the drive pin 5 from the drive block 8.

It will be obvious, of course, that the frame 7 portion II) and the guide member I I may be fabricated separately and bolted, welded or otherwise'secured in their proper-place upon the frame 3. On the other hand-{these members I0 and II mayeither or both' be cast integral with" the main frame or support structure 3; Thes possibilities react to advantage since it permits of the relativerapid' and easy adaptability of the invention to existing davits as well as to davits now being, or to be, manufactured.

In the case of ships having a plurality of boat davits extending in a line along opposite sides of' the ship, the davit frame brace portions or legs It may be made generally rectangular in" shape and interposed between and secured to the: adjacent athwart-ship "davit frame members 3. In this manner a single intermediate brace portion Ill, extending along and secured to the ship's deck in the fore and aft direction, may serve to brace the two adjacent frame structures 3 of adjacent davits, thereby providing adequate support therefor in a minimum of space which is quite important, particularly in the case of large passenger ships, where rows of life boats must be accommodated along opposite sides of the ship: a

Fromthe foregoing, it will be observed that the present invention provides a life boat davit which is characterized by its stability against load and shocks producing stresses and strains acting in the fore and aft direction of the ship. Too,

, theainvention provides a davit wherein the arm "The guide member is provided with an arcuor boom. is firmly and adequately restrained and supported against" movement in a fore and aft direction with respect to its base or housing structure, and against displacement therefrom. Furthermore; the invention is one that is susceptible of adaptation to, and embodiment in, both existing" davits and those" being, or to be,. manufactured.

While a certain embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, the invention is not limited to such disclosure but that changes and modifications may be made and embodied therein' within the scope of the claims;

1. In a ships' boat' davit comprising a boom arranged to swing in a vertical plane in an athwart-shi-p direction betweeninboard and outboard positionsa frame" structure pivota-lly supportingsaid boom secured to the deck of the 'ship' and comprising a first frame portion extending athwart-shipand parallel to'the' plane of movement of the boom and a second frame portion extending in the fore and aft direction of the ship outwardly from the first frame portion,

means on' thefirst frame portion having, a slot head portion normally preventing removal of the" pin from'said slot to provide an interlock betweensaid boom and first frame portion preventing relative lateral movement between said boom and frame in the" fore and aft ship direction, the second frame portion and said. interlock cooperating to stabilize and strengthenthe davit against load stresses and strains acting in the fore and aft directionof theship;

2 In a ships boatv davit' comprising a rigid frame" secured in an "athwart-shipdirection to the deckthereof, a boom pivotally' supported by and deck and extending outwardly from saidthe boom and movable within said'slot;saidpin 4 having an enlarged head portion normally pre v the ship.-

said frame arranged to swing in-a vertical planeparallel to theframe from aninboard posiitorr,

to an outboard position, and meansjfo'r actuatingsaid boom, abrace. member secured to theframe fram'e" aIong saidd'eck in the foreand aft direction' of the ship; means on the first frame 'por-- tion having a slot therein, and a-pin' carried by venting removal ofithe" pin from said} slott'o 'provide an: interlock: between said boom and frame.

preventing: relative l'ateral movement between" the boom and frame in the fore and aftdirection of the ship; said brace member" and the in te-rlock between the boom and frame cooperating to stabilize and strengthen th'e davi't againstlo'a'd stresses and strains in a direction fore and aft mm o. srMoNnsr 

